USWNT’s Mia Fishel suffers ACL injury on eve of Gold Cup
Alex Morgan, who had long been a mainstay on the US women’s team, has been added to the roster for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup after Mia Fishel sustained an injury during training, US Soccer said on Tuesday.
Fishel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during training on Monday, which opened the door for the veteran forward to be in the squad when the US open their tournament on 20 February against the Dominican Republic.
“As we start this tournament, we’re fortunate to be able to add a player like Alex to the roster,” said US interim head coach Twila Kilgore. “Her accomplishments speak for themselves, she’s been training extremely hard with the (NWSL’s San Diego) Wave in preseason, and I know she’ll be more than ready to contribute in this tournament.”
When Morgan was left off the initial roster announced two weeks ago, it raised questions as to whether she would be with the team for this year’s Paris Olympics. She now returns to the fold with a chance to help lead the USWNT’s redemption tour.
The 34-year-old Morgan, who has a reputation for producing big goals when the stakes are at their highest, has been a key member of US teams that won two World Cups (2015, 2019) and an Olympic gold medal in 2012. Morgan has won 215 caps, scoring 121 career international goals, placing her fifth on the US women’s all-time scorers list.
Fishel will miss the remainder of Chelsea’s WSL season, as well as the Paris Olympics and the UWCL knockout rounds. “I’m gutted for Mia, and I know the team and the entire staff is as well, Kilgore said. “She’s been very effective in camp and has worked hard to make an impact. Since she’s been getting call-ups to the National Team, she’s shown a tremendous growth mindset, a desire to absorb information and has been a total team player.”
Fishel moved to Chelsea in a £250,000 transfer from Tigres in the summer of 2023 and Shas taken on the bulk of the club’s creative burden since Sam Kerr sustained her own ACL injury earlier this season. The pressure will now be on Mayra Ramírez to provide Chelsea’s goal-scoring threat, who arrived from Levante last month for a British-record fee. But, in the shortterm, her loss will be felt more by the USWNT.
After their tournament opener, the USWNT will face Argentina on 23 February before closing out the group stage against Mexico on 26 February. The top two finishers in each of the three Concacaf W Gold Cup groups along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the knockout stage.